Shocking, I know. It would be more disturbing if I went all weekend without putting pen to paper and crafting an itemized itinerary. Yeah, that would be totally awkward. The very idea is making me slightly queasy.

I actually made a special list. A list outside of my usual and daily To Do lists, a list entirely different from my grocery store list, a list of pure unadulterated kinky kitchen action. Forget about hanging out in the city, this weekend was all about ♫ Hot Child in the Kitchen ♫. I realize my version is slightly less catchy than the original song, but seeing as most of you are too young to know what I’m talking about anyway, I’m singing it ♫ My Way ♫. I could throw a little Frank in here too, but then you’d be totally lost. Assuming of course, you aren’t already.

I made a Recipe Testing list this weekend.

For reasons unbeknownst to me, the Hubby has a plethora of food, an abundance in fact, which means for the first time in a while I could spend my weekend unchained from the kitchen, doing whatever it is that makes me happy. So I decided to spend my weekend in the kitchen, recipe testing. Obviously. ♫ Hot Child in the Kitchen ♫.

Besides when you get bit by the cooking bug or when you’ve got the itch, you roll with it or if you’re smart, you get to the doctor and get that shit checked out. Rashes ain’t no joke, which is why today’s Week In Review is all about the recipes I tested in the past two days. *Cracks knuckles. One at a time, because that’s not creepy.

Let’s get listing:

Artichokes: I’m all over artichokes right now baby. In part, so I can participate in my girl Sarah’sChopped Kitchen Challenge, and also because I adore artichokes. I have a special place in my heart for those green globes of joy. I pretty much want to shove them in my mouth faster than I can chew them. It isn’t pretty, but love isn’t always about hearts and flowers. Sometimes, often times actually, love is about getting messy, tussling that hair up and rolling around on the floor… in a sea of artichokes, no less. I told you it was kinky in here.

I’m working on a quiche I like to call “The Greek,” which incorporates artichokes along with other flavors of the Mediterranean and automatically brings to my mind a topless John Stamos. Just me? That’s weird.

This is my third time making this quiche, my second time photographing him and let me tell you, he is officially ready for prime time. Now if I only I could find someone to type up the recipe, along with an equally fitting description of what The Greek entails; with or without visions of John Stamos dancing in our heads. Although I prefer with, or really the Hubby, but since he isn’t actually Greek nor looks Greek, I gotta go Stamos on this one.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Granola: speaking of the other man in my life, the Hubby actually had one simple food request this past weekend and this bad boy was it. He wanted peanut butter and chocolate in granola form, and I threw in a banana for kicks, or maybe so I could call this The Elvis, which brings to mind Elvis. That one was a no-brainer, which means I’m probably still not smarter than a third grader. Pesky kids; bunch of know-it-alls.

This was perfection on the very first go around, which means I should probably listen to the Hubby more often, although don’t tell him I actually said that. We wouldn’t want him getting an inflamed ego. It might detract from mine, and we can’t have that, now can we?

Asparagus: most of you are using Pharrell’s new song to get “Happy.” Not me, although I don’t mind the catchy tune. It’s just that my happy comes in the shape of a long, phallic green vegetable: asparagus. It’s loaded with vitamins and minerals, not to mention fiber and protein, while being incredibly low in calories.

Of course, it doesn’t hurt that asparagus is titillating, a “delicacy of the vegetable world,” no less. It also finally came down in price at the grocery store, which means I can buy it in mass quantities and of course consume it at the same rate. That is when I’m not rolling around in it, on the floor. What? It’s got anti-aging properties. Don’t judge me. Besides, I’m a ♫ Hot Child in the Kitchen ♫.

Acorn Squash Strawberry Bread: I love bread and baked goods almost as much as my cat. I also love link up parties. They’re my jam, not to be confused with actual jam, and Heather’sMeatless Mondays with Squash just so happened to coincide with my recipe testing for Acorn Squash Strawberry Bread. Timing is everything.

This bread is sweet, without using buckets of white sugar. The Acorn Squash coupled with the Greek yogurt, almond milk, and a whole egg make it incredibly moist and give it a little protein boost, without using the powdered stuff. There are hints of juicy strawberries and warm notes from the cinnamon and nutmeg.

It’s particularly good fresh from the oven or nuked in the microwave for a few seconds and then topped with butter. Since there’s no oil or butter involved in the actual recipe, you won’t feel guilty topping it with real, good for you, keep you satiated stuff. Not that I would have felt guilty anyway. You know better than that.

Acorn Squash Strawberry Bread

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups Flour

1/2 cup Brown Sugar, packed

1/2 tsp. Baking Soda

1 1/2 tsp. Cinnamon

1/2 tsp. Nutmeg

1 cup cooked Acorn Squash puree*

1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt

1/2 cup Milk of choice, I used Almond Milk

1 egg

1 tsp. Vanilla Extract

1 cup strawberries, chopped

*Acorn Squash Puree: I start with an Acorn Squash. I cut him in half, scoop out the seeds, and roast him, flat side up for 30 to 45 minutes at 350 degrees. He’s done when his flesh can be easily pierced with a fork. Once he’s cooled, I scoop the squash into a bowl and use a potato masher to turn it into puree.

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8 x 5 loaf pan.

Mix dry ingredients in a medium bowl from the flour through to the nutmeg. Add acorn squash puree, yogurt, almond milk, an egg and the vanilla to the dry ingredients. Stir to combine. Do not over stir. The mixture should be thick, but pourable. Add in chopped strawberries.

Pour mixture into greased loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes to an hour; until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let rest 15 minutes before removing from bread pan and putting onto a cooling rack.

Enough about me. Let’s hear from you.

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Interested in participating in the Week In Review?

The Week In Review is a list, in its purest form, not of the things you still need to do, but of all the things you have done in the past seven days. It’s an achievement list and one with the sole purpose of bringing pleasure. Want in? Grab the Week in Reviewbutton for your post, link back to Clean Eats, Fast Feets and get your list on. For more details, click here.

Comments

So creative! I actually thought about using squash in bread for MMAZ but then figured (after one failure) I’d leave the baking to the pros! I’m so glad you took care of experimenting for us! The Greek also looks amazing – artichokes are one of my favorites!

The quiche and the bread sound wonderful. The bread sounds like you could add other things other than strawberries. I’m thinking even peaches or blue or blackberries. Even dried cranberries if you didn’t have any fresh fruities hanging around. One question. The link seemed to do something strange today. My photo didn’t show up on the blog. If I click on the link it’s there but not on the face of the blog. Is that how it’s supposed to be now? Just checking. Thanks, Sweetie and have a great day!

Acorn is the one I get in mass quantities in my food share, so it’s the one I experiment with the most. I will share the granola. You’d love it, although it probably wouldn’t qualify for a strange, but good.

I would die for this asparagus right now! I love it! Grilled with garlic and only a little salt and pepper! Heaven! And Artichokes… don’t let me get started here!
I actually cooked something rather exciting this weekend. I made my quinoa stuffed bell peppers on Sunday and I am certain the recipe is finally great (and post-worthy) now!
I love testing recipes but I often have the problem that I don’t get all the ingredients here. So I start to change this and that and I’m sure the result is ment to taste different. Nevertheless I always enjoy it!
Have a lovely day lovely lady 🙂

WHOOAAA, that bread!!! I LOVE when breads are made with unique/non traditional ingredients!! Give me that shiiiittt! YUM! I seriously would do just about anything for asparagus, it’s so lovely. What a weekend list, I think it’s perfect.

I’m not actually a huge bread fan (I take that back, bread isn’t something I crave, unless cake counts as bread, but I love it when I have it), but I sooooo dig bread with weird stuff in it. There’s this bakery near me that sells sunflower seed cranberry bread and it just melts my heart. Point being, I could totally see me craving that squash bread!

I’m saddened to learn that the sight of asparagus = phallic vegetable in your mind. Zucchini is the phallic green vegetable to me, asparagus is too . . . puny. And a puny phallus is just no fun.

The bread looks awesome, and surprise surprise I’ve still got acorn squash from the farm share and strawberries in the freezer, though the spouse is nipping away at them each week.

Must get my act together.

What can I link up? My newest accomplishment–updating my Visual Recipe Index, though I live for the day that I can say I created my own (I can see where it is, I just can’t get there from here). I’m all caught up! Until Wednesday, when I post the avocado lemon feta yogurt dip and I’m behind again.

My brains not working… here I am thinking I’m leaving comments on things and then finding that I’m not!

Anywho this looks like your most delicious list yet and I am totally loving the link-up shout out 🙂 Almost as much as I’m loving whatever goodness is in that granola and the loaf of squash bread. John Stamos… not so much but that just leave more of him for you and Davida.

I wish my hubby ever craved chocolate and peanut butter! Nope – just me. Oh well. MORE for me is what that means. Muhuhaha. Also, that acorn squash strawberry bread looks so unique and delicious. Obviously topped with real butter. I may give that a whirl, soon!!

I really wish we had acorn squash here in Australia. Actually, acorn PUMPKIN (yep, everything in the squash family falls under that banner).

Asparagus is one of the cheaper vegetables at the moment- 3 for $4 today! HOWEVER. Cauliflower was $5 a head. or $3.30 for half! …. You know my love for this so I bought a package of frozen to test its roasting capabilities tonight. Cross them fingers, toes and signatures.

I’ll need to try an artichoke….the only time I’ve eaten it is when mum marinated them for like…2 years. Antipasto.

You sure had the most wonderful time trying out your list. All the photographs look amazing and the squash-strawberry bread .. that is something I’ll like to try. Thank you so much for sharing it with us at Tasty Tuesday. I have featured it this week.

I love this! It’s reminding me of the last time you motivated me to get crazy in the kitchen…when was that? Oh yeah, A FREAKING YEAR AGO!! What’s wrong with me, Meg?! I’ve lost my mojo! I swear I’m going to be eating cereal with peanut flour for the rest of my life…not that you’d ever hear me complain about it…but still! Come visit me…and bring that bread! The mimosas will be waiting! 😉

I was going to say come to Cleveland and I’ll help you find it, but it is pretty damn cold here. You are currently in a warm climate, with hot yoga and a waiting mimosas so I wish I could come there. I blew my travel budget on Blend or else I’d be hopping a plane tomorrow. Maybe we could just pretend.